Meet our Undergrad 2023 LMSP Cohort

Carolina (she/her) graduated from Northwestern University with her BA in Legal Studies and Art History. Regarding participation in the LMSP, she’s most excited to study her heritage through the Cuban and Caribbean Histories practicum, and by the novelty of it all— new people, a new city, exploring the world’s largest museum collection. She has an entrepreneurial spirit and is excited by her vision of museums as vibrant centers for community life and beacons of public knowledge, free and open to all. Originally hailing from Florida, she’s thrilled to be back on the East Coast and is ready to see where this all leads.


Carolina is placed at the National Museum of Natural History participating in the practicum Smithsonian-Community Museum Partnership to Interpret Cuban and Caribbean Histories.

Julyet Carrillo (she/her) is a Printmaking major with a minor in Painting at the University of Texas at El Paso. What excites her about working with the Latino Museum Studies Program is that she can share her experiences of being a Latina woman in the artistic world and learn from others. She is interested in museums because she can bring art to people who don't have that privilege. This is why one of her career goals is to help her community through art and, at the same time, grow as an artist. 


Julyet is placed at the National Gallery of Art participating in the practicum Creating a Virtual Studio Program. 

Cheyenne Díaz (she/they) is a rising junior at The City College of New York majoring in Art Education. A New York native, Cheyenne is excited at the prospect of living in Washington, DC. She is honored to be working with the Smithsonian Institution as an LMSP intern. She is most looking forward to exploring the behind-the-scenes of our nation's prominent museums and applying this knowledge to her creative and professional development. Cheyenne aims to bring more Latinx stories into the museum field through education and community building.   


Cheyenne is placed at the National Gallery of Art participating in the practicum Video Development & Production Internship. 

Meet Mimi (they/them), a recent graduate from Wellesley College. Having graduated with a Peace and Justice and Latin American Studies Double Major, Mimi has a passion for education, family, and community. A true intellectual, they actively seek knowledge and eagerly share their insights with others, striving to cultivate a caring and thoughtful community everywhere they go. They're excited to be part of an amazing cohort of scholars and interns, wanting to respect and honor the diverse and personal experiences every individual brings to the program. In their spare time, Mimi likes spending time with their friends, reading, and drinking boba.


Mimi is placed at Smithsonian Gardens participating in the practicum Creative Engagement and Living Collections: Smithsonian Gardens Orchid Collection. 

Ambar Dominguez (she/her) recently graduated from Arizona State University, with a BA in theatre with a concentration in design and production. Ambar is most excited about being able to learn about the processes of museum exhibits. She hopes to explore and learn new avenues when it comes to design. A fun fact about Ambar is that she enjoys building miniature scale models in her spare time. She hopes to take the knowledge she gains from this experience and put towards her future endeavors.


Ambar is placed at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, participating in the practicum 3D Exhibit Design, Fabrication, and Graphic Production for Art Museums.

Claudia González-Díaz (she/her) graduated with BAs in Art History and French and minors in Latino Studies and Spanish from Indiana University Bloomington in May of 2023. As an intern, Claudia is curious to learn about how the development of educational materials, research, and museum programming at the National Portrait Gallery help to prepare for the addition of the National Museum of the American Latino. She hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in Art History in the fall of 2024 with an eye toward community-based art curation and education. Claudia is also an artmaker of stained-glass mosaics and crochet.


Claudia is placed at the National Portrait Gallery, participating in the practicum Echoes of Empire in Contemporary Art.

Katrina Hernandez (she/her) is a Museum Studies major at Arizona State University. What excites her the most about participating in LMSP is the opportunity to gain real world experience and grow her skillset. Her career goals are to become a museum curator or exhibition designer for museums all over the world, shedding a new light on history and art for patrons. She wants to explore the behind the scenes of museums, learning about the planning, development, design, and production that goes into museums. Fun fact about Katrina is that she’s a huge fan of Hong Kong Cinema and Kung fu movies.


Katrina is placed at the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, participating in the practicum Producing the 2024 Smithsonian Folklife Festival.

Olivia (they/she) is a recent Communications bachelor's and Socio-Cultural Anthropology minor, from the University of California, San Diego. They look forward to learning more about museum careers straight from the experts. In addition to getting the chance to meet various people with passions for history and the artifacts which hold stories from the past, they aim to continue their education so that they can become a museum archivist and/or work in collections management. Their favorite pastime is dancing and creating choreography; they were the captain for an all-women’s, open style collegiate team called 4N01.


Olivia is placed at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, participating in the practicum Behind-the-Scenes at NMAAHC: Introduction to Collections Care.

Lesley Mendoza-Serrano (she/they) recently graduated from UC Santa Barbara and majored in Chicana/o Studies and Spanish. She strives towards contributing to the Smithsonian's ongoing goal of creating accessible content by writing bilingual stories alongside the East Coast Latino community for Folklife Magazine. Lesley looks forward to seeing how museums have grown by collaborating with the communities that are exhibited. Her writing has been inspired by her involvement in different art forms; she has written about folk religion, cultural dance, fashion, music and the intricacies of being queer in an assumed conservative culture.


Lesley is placed at the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, participating in the practicum American Latinx Storytelling for Folklife Magazine.

Finn Miller (he/him) is a senior at Oberlin College. He is majoring in History and East Asian Studies. Having worked as a gallery guide at Oberlin’s Allen Memorial Art Museum, Finn hopes to continue to explore museum education and interpretation. Growing up in Singapore, and away from a large Latin population, Finn is excited to re-engage with Latinidad and its presentation in museums.

Finn is placed at the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, participating in the practicum Producing the 2024 Smithsonian Folklife Festival.

Joshua Mondragon (he/him) is a fourth-year student studying at California State University of San Bernardino. Joshua is an Anthropology major with a concentration in archeology. One aspect that excites him about participating in the Latino Museums Study Program is the ability to produce more research and information about Cuban and Caribbean histories. Joshua is striving to continue conducting research as an archeologist, specifically in the Mesoamerican Region. One interesting aspect about Joshua is that he loves camping and kayaking.


Joshua is placed at the National Museum of Natural History participating in the practicum Smithsonian-Community Museum Partnership to Interpret Cuban and Caribbean Histories.

Michaela (she/her) is a recent New Mexico State University graduate with a bachelor's in Anthropology and a minor in museum conservation. She is excited about the invaluable experience that LMSP has provided and experiencing the behind the scenes of the Smithsonian. Michaela plans to take what she learns in this internship and apply it to caring for archeological collections. She is a proud dog mom of two adorable and hyperactive border collies.

Michaela is placed at the National Museum of American History, participating in the practicum 1000 Watch Project.

Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Joharis Ramos Abreu (she/her/ella) is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Art Theory from the University of Puerto Rico in Mayagüez. She recently started venturing outside of the comfort of her island with the objective of furthering her knowledge in the arts while growing her passion for collection-based roles. Working at the art gallery on campus has propelled her to be a highly engaged student in the art community in Puerto Rico and her university, where she has recently coordinated the design for the annual student exhibition this past spring. She is confident that participating in the Latino Museum Studies Program will provide the mentorship and training fitting for her future in museums. Fun Fact: Prior to studying Art Theory, Joharis was a Chemical Engineering major.


Joharis is placed at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, participating in the practicum Behind-the-Scenes at NMAAHC: Introduction to Collections Care.

Sebastian Saavedra (he/him/his) is a recent graduate from Florida International University, having earned his Bachelor of Arts in History. He looks forward to developing an entirely new skill set during his participation in LMSP, one which will combine his interests in public history, archival work, and technology. He hopes this program can serve as a major steppingstone into working in a more behind-the-scenes position within the museum field. Sebastian is quite the film junkie, forming his passion for the medium through film studies courses and always looking forward to sitting in the cinema.

Sebastian is placed at the Museum Conservation Institute, participating in the practicum Imaging to Support Research and Conservation of Cultural Heritage Objects.

Luiza (she/her) is an Architecture major with a minor in Spanish at Georgia Tech. She is most excited about learning all there is about the exhibit design process and forming great connections from diverse backgrounds in her cohort, LMSP, and the Smithsonian. She wants to explore the possibilities of design and fabrication within museums, as well as finding new ways to make exhibits more accessible and sustainable. She is passionate about fiber arts and loves cats!

Luiza is placed at Smithsonian Institution Exhibits participating in the practicum Design and Fabrication Project.